I’ve spent a lot of time experimenting with endurance nutrition, especially on long rides and hard training blocks. At some point, plain water stopped cutting it, and I needed something that actually helped me feel stronger instead of bloated or jittery. That’s how I ended up bouncing back and forth between Tailwind Nutrition and Skratch Labs.
Both are popular for endurance athletes, and both promise steady energy without upsetting your stomach. On paper, they seem pretty similar. In real life, they feel different enough that choosing between them actually matters. I’ve trained, raced, bonked, recovered, and adjusted my fueling strategy with both, and that’s what this comparison is based on. Not marketing claims. Just what worked for me, what didn’t, and where each one makes more sense depending on how and why you’re using it.
If you’re trying to decide between Tailwind and Skratch, or you’re just tired of guessing what to put in your bottle, here’s my honest take.
What Is Tailwind?
Tailwind Nutrition is an endurance-focused sports nutrition brand that’s best known for its all-in-one powdered fuels. The whole idea is simple: mix one scoop into a bottle and you get carbs, electrolytes, and hydration together. No gels. No extra salt tabs. No juggling different products mid-ride or mid-run.
When I first tried Tailwind, it was during longer efforts where stopping to think about fueling felt like work. Tailwind’s core products like Endurance Fuel, Rapid Hydration, High-Carb Fuel, and the caffeinated versions are clearly built for long-duration endurance stuff: cycling, ultrarunning, triathlon, even backpacking. Basically anything where you’re moving for hours and don’t want your nutrition plan to fall apart.
What really defines Tailwind for me is how streamlined it feels. Their positioning boils down to “fuel and hydrate at the same time,” and that’s exactly how it works in practice. I can sip steadily, keep my energy up, and not worry about timing gels or chasing calories with water.
A few things stand out from my experience:
- Fuel + hydration together
One bottle covers most of what I need for steady efforts. That alone removes a lot of mental overhead. - 2:1 glucose-to-fructose carb blend (especially in High-Carb Fuel)
This matters on longer or harder days. I’ve found it easier to push calories without my stomach pushing back. - Higher sodium content
I’m a salty sweater, and Tailwind is one of the few mixes where I don’t feel behind on electrolytes after a couple of hours. - Very light, clean taste
It dissolves fully and doesn’t get thick or syrupy, even when I mix it stronger. That’s a bigger deal than it sounds when you’re four hours in and still drinking it.
What Is Skratch?
Skratch Labs comes at hydration from a very different angle than Tailwind. Skratch positions itself as a real-food hydration brand, and that philosophy shows up in everything from the ingredient list to how the drinks actually feel when you’re using them.
When I first switched to Skratch, it felt more like drinking flavored water than “fuel.” That’s not a knock. That’s kind of the point. Skratch focuses on moderate carbohydrates, real fruit flavoring, and electrolyte levels meant to match average sweat losses, not push the limits of how many calories you can cram into a bottle.
In practice, Skratch feels calmer and more flexible. Instead of asking one product to do everything, they separate things out. You’ve got hydration mixes, fuel products, and electrolyte-only options depending on what your day actually looks like.
Here’s how their positioning plays out for me:
- Real fruit and simple sugars
The flavors taste natural and light. I never get that artificial aftertaste, even late in a session. - No artificial colors or sweeteners
This matters more than I expected. Skratch is one of the few mixes I can drink for hours without flavor fatigue. - Balanced hydration for most athletes
It’s designed around typical sweat rates, not extreme scenarios. For moderate temps and steady efforts, it just works. - Fuel and hydration are separate
I like this on days when I want control. I can hydrate with Skratch and add calories from food, chews, or gels as needed.
Skratch’s standard Sport Hydration Mix delivers about 80 calories and roughly 380–400 mg of sodium per serving, which puts it squarely in the isotonic hydration range. That’s the sweet spot a lot of sports dietitians recommend when hydration is the priority and calories are secondary.
For me, Skratch feels less like a fueling system and more like a hydration foundation. It doesn’t try to carry the whole load. Instead, it keeps things simple, clean, and easy on the stomach, especially when I’m not pushing massive volume or intensity.
Electrolyte Amounts (Exact Numbers per Serving)
Here’s where the differences really start to matter, especially once the sessions get long or the weather gets hot. I’ll lay this out clearly first, then explain how it plays out in real use.
Side-by-side numbers
| Brand | Sodium | Potassium | Magnesium | Calcium | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tailwind Nutrition Endurance Fuel | ~610 mg per packet | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ~200 kcal |
| Skratch Labs Sport Hydration | ~370–400 mg per serving | ~35–40 mg | ~39–50 mg | ~40–60 mg | ~80 kcal |
For extra context, one scoop of Tailwind (27 g) breaks down roughly like this:
- Calories: 100
- Carbohydrates: 25 g (all sugar)
- Sodium: ~303–310 mg
- Potassium: ~88 mg
- Calcium: ~26 mg
- Magnesium: ~14 mg
That’s why most people, myself included, end up using two scoops per bottle during longer efforts.
Tailwind is built to replace fuel and electrolytes at the same time. The sodium is high, the calories are meaningful, and the electrolyte profile is complete. When I’m riding or running for multiple hours and sweating heavily, Tailwind lets me cover most of my needs from the bottle alone.
Skratch, on the other hand, sticks much closer to traditional sports drink recommendations. The sodium is moderate, the calories are low, and hydration is the main goal. That works well when I’m fueling separately or don’t need aggressive calorie intake.
Winner for electrolytes: 🏆 Tailwind
Why:
The higher sodium density and fuller electrolyte delivery make Tailwind better suited for long, heavy-sweat efforts where I don’t want to rely on add-ons like salt caps or extra fuel. It’s simply more self-contained.
That doesn’t make Skratch worse. It just means Skratch plays a different role. But strictly from an electrolyte and fuel replacement standpoint, Tailwind is doing more work per bottle.
Sweeteners Used
This is one of those sections where the difference shows up more in how the drink feels over time than on an ingredient label. I’ve had long days where sweetness fatigue was the main reason I stopped drinking, so this matters to me more than it used to.
Tailwind
Tailwind Nutrition relies on straightforward, performance-driven sugars:
- Dextrose (glucose)
- Cane sugar / fructose
- Maltodextrin (in some products)
- No artificial sweeteners
From my experience, Tailwind’s sweetness is clean but functional. It’s clearly designed to deliver calories efficiently, not to taste like juice. When I mix it stronger for long efforts, the sweetness becomes noticeable, but it never feels artificial or chemically.
Skratch
Skratch Labs takes a softer, more food-like approach:
- Cane sugar + dextrose
- Real fruit powder or juice for flavor
- No artificial sweeteners or dyes
This is where Skratch really shines for me. The real fruit flavoring makes it taste closer to lightly flavored water. Even after hours, I don’t feel that creeping “too sweet” feeling that sometimes makes me avoid drinking.
Winner for sweeteners: 🏆 Skratch
Why:
The real fruit flavoring and simpler sweetness make Skratch easier to drink for long periods, especially for athletes who are sensitive to artificial taste or sweetness fatigue. It’s not about performance math here. It’s about what you’ll actually keep sipping when you’re tired and hot.
Hydration Effectiveness
This is where I really start to separate the two based on how long I’m out there and how hard I’m pushing. Both hydrate. They just do it in different ways, for different goals.
Tailwind
Tailwind Nutrition is built around doing more per sip.
- Uses multiple transportable carbohydrates (glucose + fructose), which can push carb absorption rates up toward ~90 g per hour with training
- Higher sodium content improves fluid retention, especially if you’re a heavy sweater
- Designed to replace gels, water, and electrolytes in one bottle
In my experience, Tailwind shines when hydration and fueling can’t be separated. During long races or multi-hour rides, I can drink steadily and keep both energy and fluids coming in without stopping to think. My mouth might get a little tired of the flavor, but my body stays steady.
Skratch
Skratch Labs takes a more conservative, hydration-first approach.
- Sits in the 4–8% carbohydrate concentration range that’s commonly recommended for optimal gastric emptying
- Sodium levels line up with average sweat replacement strategies
- Less aggressive fueling, which makes it easier on the gut for a lot of people
For me, Skratch is the safer choice when conditions are mild, intensity is moderate, or my stomach feels questionable. It hydrates without asking my digestive system to work too hard, which can be a lifesaver on long training days.
Winner for hydration effectiveness: 🏆 Tailwind
Why:
For endurance racing and long, demanding sessions, Tailwind’s formulation supports higher energy delivery and sustained hydration at the same time. When the goal is to go long and keep pushing, Tailwind simply covers more bases per bottle.
Health & Wellness Benefits
This is the section where context matters most. What’s “healthier” really depends on how often you’re using it and what you’re using it for.
Tailwind
Tailwind Nutrition is unapologetically performance-first.
- Optimized for endurance performance, not casual hydration
- Very effective at preventing energy crashes and cramping during long events
- Higher sodium content can be excessive for sedentary use or low-sodium diets
When I use Tailwind the way it’s intended, during long rides, races, or all-day efforts, it feels great. When I’ve tried to use it outside that context, like short workouts or daily hydration, it’s clearly more than I need. It’s not unhealthy, it’s just overkill.
Skratch
Skratch Labs fits more naturally into everyday training and general wellness.
- Lower calorie load per serving
- Better suited for frequent training sessions and mixed-intensity sports
- Unsweetened version available for illness, low-carb needs, or when you just want electrolytes
Skratch is the one I reach for when hydration is the goal and performance fueling is secondary. I’ve used the unsweetened version during easy recovery days and even when I wasn’t training at all, and it never felt like I was forcing calories my body didn’t ask for.
Winner for health & wellness: 🏆 Skratch
Why:
Skratch is simply more flexible and safer for frequent, non-race use. Outside of long endurance events, it fits more naturally into daily training, recovery, and general hydration without pushing unnecessary calories or sodium.
Price (2025 Snapshot)
Price isn’t everything, but once you’re going through tubs regularly, it starts to matter. I’ve bought both more times than I’d like to admit, and the value difference becomes pretty clear when you look at cost per serving.
Current pricing overview
| Brand | Approx. Price | Cost per Serving |
|---|---|---|
| Tailwind Nutrition | $25–$40 (30-serving tub) | ~$1.00–$1.30 |
| Skratch Labs | $21.95 (20 servings) | ~$1.10–$1.95 |
Taste
Taste might sound subjective, but it has real consequences. If a drink starts to feel gross halfway through a workout, hydration suffers. I’ve learned the hard way that what tastes fine at minute 10 can be unbearable at hour three.
Tailwind
Tailwind Nutrition keeps things simple and restrained.
- Light, neutral flavor that’s not overly sweet
- Dissolves completely clear with no residue
- Some flavors still feel more “functional” than fruity
I appreciate how easy Tailwind is to drink when I’m working hard. It never feels syrupy, even when mixed strong. That said, the flavor can feel a bit utilitarian. It does the job, but it’s not something I look forward to drinking.
Skratch
Skratch Labs is almost in a different category when it comes to taste.
- Widely praised for real fruit flavor
- Slight fruit particulates, which are intentional
- Less flavor fatigue for many athletes
Skratch actually tastes like something I’d choose to drink. The fruit flavors feel natural, and I don’t get tired of them over long training blocks. The tiny fruit bits don’t bother me at all, and I know some people actually like that reminder that it’s made from real ingredients.
Winner for taste: 🏆 Skratch
Why:
Better taste leads to better hydration compliance. When a drink is genuinely enjoyable, you’re more likely to keep sipping, especially over long training blocks where consistency matters more than perfection.
Customer Experience
This section lines up pretty closely with what I’ve seen in the wild. Group rides, races, trailheads, and post-run chats tend to tell the same story as the reviews.
Tailwind
Tailwind Nutrition has a very specific and loyal following.
- Strong loyalty within ultra running and cycling communities
- Mixes easily, packs well, and works reliably in bottles or soft flasks
- Higher carb doses often require some gut training
Most of the Tailwind users I know swear by it. Once it clicks, it really clicks. But I’ve also seen people bounce off it early because they tried to push calories too fast without easing into it.
Skratch
Skratch Labs tends to win over a wider range of athletes.
- Consistently high ratings at REI and specialty retailers
- Clear, transparent labeling that builds ingredient trust
- Premium pricing is commonly mentioned in reviews
Which One Should You Choose?
This is the part where I stop comparing numbers and start thinking about real training days. I keep both of these in my cabinet because they solve different problems.
Choose Tailwind Nutrition if you:
- Regularly train or race for 2+ hours
- Sweat heavily or spend a lot of time in hot environments
- Want fuel and electrolytes in a single bottle
- Are training toward 60–90 g of carbs per hour
If your workouts are long, demanding, and fuel-dependent, Tailwind simplifies everything. One bottle, steady sipping, and fewer decisions when you’re already tired.
Choose Skratch Labs if you:
- Want balanced hydration with moderate calories
- Prefer real-food ingredients and fruit-forward flavors
- Train frequently at mixed intensities
- Need flexibility, including unsweetened and booster-style options
Conclusion
After using both for a long time, I don’t think Tailwind Nutrition and Skratch Labs are really competing head-to-head. They’re solving different problems, even though they end up in the same bottle.
Tailwind is what I reach for when the effort is long, the sweat rate is high, and fueling mistakes would cost me later. It’s efficient, no-nonsense, and built for endurance first. When I need calories, sodium, and hydration to just work without thinking, Tailwind does exactly that.
Skratch is what I use most days. It tastes better, feels lighter, and fits naturally into frequent training, recovery rides, and mixed-intensity sessions. I’m more likely to keep drinking it, and that alone makes it valuable outside of race conditions.
If you’re only buying one, think about your longest, hardest days. If those dominate your training, Tailwind will probably serve you better. If most of your sessions are shorter, varied, or just part of a regular routine, Skratch is easier to live with.
For me, the real takeaway is this: hydration works best when it matches the effort. Use the right tool for the day, and both of these products do their job very well.